Little Maple
by JapaneseRedWolf
Summary: Notoriously bad-ass Mountie Matt Williams seems like the last guy you'd expect to adopt a little girl, but when he saves a young girl from attacking bullies, there's just something about the look in her eyes that makes him change his attitude suddenly. But what happens when he discovers his status could do her harm? CHAPTER 4 HAS BEEN FIXED
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: A Cry for Help

A girl tried to run down the halls of the school, her efforts hindered by her pretty burgundy heels. Her lightly curled brown hair flew out behind her as she flung open a door, escaping into the windy autumn world outside. She screamed for help when she felt a hand grab the back of her flannel shirt. The girl tried to escape, feeling the buttons start to come off as she struggled. When they popped, she fell forward, barely able to catch herself before someone stepped on her knees. She tried to get away as the people gathering around her began to beat her, tearing her clothes, bruising her skin, and stealing the money she had worked so _HARD_ to get from her wallet.

However it seemed that it would end there when an angry shout scared the attackers into fleeing, only to be stopped by uniformed RCMP officers. A blonde one wearing dark shades helped the girl to her feet, snatching the money back from her attackers.

"Are you alright miss?"

She teared up, shivering against the cold wind. "Y-yes…"

He picked up her shirt, draping it over her shoulders. "Why did they attack you?"

"I-I don't know." she shook her head. "It just happened… It always just happens…"

"Always? How long's this been going on?" she could tell he was getting angrier.

"Since… August…"

"That's over a month!" he snarled. "And they've been doing this to you?! Why didn't you tell someone?!"

"I DID!" she started to cry. "The staff doesn't care! The principal doesn't care! The orphanage doesn't care!"

"Orphanage…?" he sighed, watching his fellow officers take the girl's attackers away. "Which one?"

"Maple Leaf Orphanage…?"

"Ah… What's your name kid?"

"Shelbi… with an I."

"Last name?"

"Lee."

"Shelbi Lee… Alright, head home."

"But-"

"Don't worry, I'll handle it."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Little Maple

"Shelbi get your things." the girl looked up at one of the volunteers who helped look after her and her fellow orphans. "And come to the office. Mrs. Dean wants you."

"Uh, yes, of course…" she hopped off her bed and quickly packed her few things. Tossing the bag on her back she hurried to the office, gasping when she entered and saw the RCMP officer from earlier sitting there, now wearing a flannel shirt and torn jeans, his dark shades still in place and a single curl now noticeably protruding from his hair. The girl slowly walked over, looking at the head lady, whom seemed a little worried and scared all of a sudden.

"Mrs. Dean?"

"Shelbi, I have good news! Mr. Williams here has just finished filling out the papers to adopt you."

"Huh?"

"You're going home with me Shelbi." he stood, taking her pack from her and slinging it over his shoulder. "Come on."

The girl gave the caretaker once last look before following him out, concerned by the sudden grimace she had one her face. But once they were outside she pushed any thought of her old 'guardian' from her head, instead letting her new one help her into the passenger seat of his pick-up. Shelbi was confused, but buckled in before he took off down the road.

"So… I'm your kid now, eh?"

"Yeah, Shelbi Williams. My name's Matt, by the way."

"Matt…"

"Yeah, but you can call me whatever the hell you want." he soon pulled up to a little house on the edge of town, one that kids always tried actively to avoid at all cost for some reason. "We're staying the night here before I take you to my place… Also, whatever you do, don't let my, ugh, family, or whatever, freak you out."

"Okay…" she hopped out and followed him in, looking over his 'family' as they fell silent upon her entrance. She gave a nervous wave, sure that it was her bandaged body and tore clothes that made them give her such pitiful looks.

"Hi…"

"Yo Matt, who's the chick?"

"Matthieu I don't agree with pets."

"Francis! Ahem, Mattie, dear, care to explain?"

Matt sighed, rolling his eyes. "This is Shelbi. She's going to be living with me from now on."

"Oh how lovely dear."

"Quoi? Why?"

"Dude, what the fuck?"

"That's a dollar Allen!"

Matt snickered, Shelbi looking confused as the red-haired man identified as "Allen" fished a dollar out of his pocket to drop in a labeled "swear jar" held by a pink haired, blue eyed man with freckles dotting his face. "I adopted her today."

"What? Why?" the messy haired blonde with a cigarette hanging from his mouth stood, looking over her bandaged frame. "She 'ardly looks 'ealthy."

Matt stepped in front her. "Francis don't question me."

The pink haired man giggled quietly, skipping over. "It's lovely to meet you Shelbi. I'm Ollie~!"

Allen smirked, walking over and resting his arm on her shoulder like she was an arm rest. "And I'm Matt's bro Allen. I guess that makes me your uncle!"

The girl rolled her eyes. "I take it you're the younger brother…"

"Yeah… what make you say that?"

"I'm from an orphanage. I know how to tell siblings apart by age. You act more stuck-up and bossy where-as he's more humble and quietly reserved."

Matt smirked as Allen looked a little annoyed. "I like her."

Francis rolled his eyes. "If she keeps acting like that I'll end up 'ating 'er as much as I do the rest of you."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Matt sighed as he watched Shelbi try to knit a scarf, Oliver chuckled as he left her alone with the loom. Allen snickered at her clear irritation, looking over at her 'papa' as she had dubbed him.

"Hey dude, when are you going to put her back in school? If you don't do it soon, Ollie'll have her baking and giggling before Sunday!"

"Ew," Shelbi cringed. "I'd rather try playing hockey on spring ice."

Matt smirked. "Well she's Canadian alright."

"Well duh, she'd have to be for you to- wait, how did you know about her in the first place?"

The girl looked up at her papa, whom seemed a little irked. So she turned to Allen instead.

"He and some other RCMP officers happened to see me getting jumped in the school yard."

The Mountie shrugged. "Something about her… I guess I just felt bad for her or something."

Shelbi smirked. "Pity, eh?"

"Not like anyone else was helping you."

"True." now it was her turn to shrug before returning her attention to the loom in her lap. "Anyhow, you said we were only staying the night here?"

"Yeah. After I pick you up from school tomorrow I'll take you to my place."

"Where's that?"

"Not far from here: Devil's Trap."

Her head snapped up, her eyes going wide. "What?"

"Hm?"

"You… you're that deranged psychopathic axe murderer that lives in the old cabin?!"

"That's a new one." Matt chuckled. "I guess I am."

"Awesome…" she grinned.

Francis muttered as he passed by. "Leave it to you to get the crazy one."

Matt tilted his head back to look at him. "Remind me again who it was that raised me?"

"Zhat damn poisonous Brit turned you into this, not moi."

"I heard that Francis! And that's a dollar for the jar!"

The Frenchman rolled his eyes, stalking out of the room. Allen snickered, kicking his legs up on the coffee table.

"So, when're you going to submit her new papers to the school?"

"Eh?"

"Yeah dude, you're her daddy now, and they have to know that."

"Dammit…"

"Matthew Williams!"

Shelbi watched him get up and walk off, just as Oliver walked in with a plate. He smacked Allen's legs off the table before he handed the plate to the girl.

"Here you are dear. Do you know when your bandages need to be changed?"

The girl seemed to think about it for a moment, but then she huffed and reached up to rip the bandages off.

"Yeah, they need to be changed in the trash."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Bullies Never Learn

Shelbi huffed as she slid out of Matt's truck, glaring at her fellow students as she tried to get to her class without incident. Her teachers shook their heads at her, exchanging worried whispers that she couldn't help but hear.

"She got adopted yesterday, by that Williams guy."

"Oh yeah he submitted her new papers this morning. Poor girl has no idea what's he's done."

"I don't know if they'll let her stay in school if he's her new guardian."

"Oh my, what if he turns her into a criminal like him?"

Shelbi ground her teeth together, trying to think about what Matt had told her the previous night.

~flashback~

Shelbi looked on curiously as Matt walked over to her, sitting on the edge of the guest bed where she would sleep for the night.

"Listen Shelbi, there's a few things you need to know about me before you go back to school tomorrow."

"Eh?"

"Me and my… family… aren't exactly friends with the people here. Most them hate us or want us dead. We've done some pretty nasty things before, so once it's known that I've adopted you the adults around you will no doubt treat you differently."

"Alright… thanks for telling me."

~end~

The girl huffed as she sat in her desk, putting her head down on the false wood and closing her eyes in an attempt to block out the world around her. However it didn't last: she soon found herself being kicked out of the desk, much to the horror of her homeroom teacher. The boy who knocked her down was oblivious to the anger growing in his victim's heart.

"Hey there bitch, heard you got a new daddy now. What'd you do, fuck him first?"

Shelbi growled, glaring up at him with such a chilling gleam in her eyes the boy hesitated, tensing for just a split second. That second was all she needed to push him off and away from her, jumping up to punch him square in the jaw. The boy fell to the ground in shock, all the students looking at her in fear as she towered over the former bully.

"Do not talk about my dear papa that way you insolent dickweed." she stepped square on his chest, only then making her teacher rush over. "Or I'll make sure you meet him."

"Wh-why the tough act?! If he adopted you he must be an idiot!"

She gave a wicked grin as the teacher jerked her away. "Ever heard the name Matt Williams?"

Her classmates started to whisper, leaving the poor frightened teacher to drag the girl from the classroom and straight to the principal's office. The man looked at her with pity as he listened to her teacher explain what had just happened in her classroom. The woman was quickly dismissed, leaving the man who sat behind the desk to call Shelbi's dear papa to come retrieve her. Shelbi sat with her knees to her chest in one of the chairs until the now uniformed Matt walked into the office with such a cold aura about him she was sure he was glaring at the balding man behind his shades.

"Why's my daughter sitting here when she should be in class?"

"Mr. WIlliams, please, have a seat." the principal was getting scared now, his hands were shaking on his coffee cup. "Please."

The man huffed, sitting next to her. "Shelbi what happened?"

The other man gulped. "She punched a boy in the jaw in the middle of class."

"I asked _her_, not you."

Shelbi rolled her eyes. "He shoved me out of desk and was about to attack me _again_ before I kicked him away. He said a few things I didn't like before that though, that's why I punched him in the jaw when I got up."

"Like what?"

"He said I must've fucked you to get you to adopt me." she snorted, putting her chin in her palm. "So I punched his ass to the floor and made sure he knew just who you were."

Matt smirked. "Good girl."

"Thank you papa." she smiled slightly, giving him a look that brought that cold gleam from earlier back into her eyes. It made Matt stiffen ever so slightly for just a moment before he turned to the principal.

"Next time make sure you bring the right kid to the office. But for now, I'm taking her home."

"R-Right."

Shelbi stood, following him out of the office. Students crammed into the doorways, whispering to each other as they watched the Mountie walk side-by-side with his daughter out of the school. Once they were both in the pick-up, Matt grabbed her chin and jerked her over to look into her eyes. Only slightly frightened by the sudden move, she didn't seem him stifle a sigh, but she did hear the groan that sounded in his chest.

"Damn it."

"Papa?"

"Tch, don't worry about it."

"How about you just tell me?"

"No, now if you'll be good I have to take you home so I can go check into a few things."

"Alright...?"


End file.
